Ryan at 18 Months

It is nearly impossible to believe that my little sidekick is officially a year and a half old. While David and I both have tried out best to savor the moments and remain as present as possible, the past 18 months have passed far too quickly. It is so interesting because, on the one hand, I wish so badly that we could press pause and slow everything down but then, on the other hand, watching Ryan grow and learn is such a beautiful thing. Watching him explore, form new interests, and become more independent fills me with such joy.

As many of you know, our journey that lead us to Ryan was nothing short of emotional and tumultuous. You can read about our experience in more detail in this post, if you wish. Because of everything we went through leading up to Ryan’s birth, David and I almost didn’t believe that we were in the hospital holding a baby…our baby. Well, that baby has grown into a toddler in the blink of an eye.

Ryan’s personality is beginning to develop more and more strongly. We have always joked that he is (thankfully) mellow and cool like his dad but all of a sudden a strong-willed stubborn side has emerged. So strange because I have no idea who he inherited those traits from…cough, cough.

While he is not a high energy child, Ryan is constantly moving. He loves to explore and loves anything electronic or mechanical. If a toy runs out of batteries, he will jump up to search for a screw driver, lead you to the batteries, and help you replace them. The only times he seems to be still are when he is reading (likely a Halloween book) or devouring enough food for a small army. The kid can eat and will thankfully eat everything. He has a much more impressive palette than his mom, that’s for sure.

He has a great sense of humor and loves physical comedy. He also likes to be scared!

Ryan LOVES running errands and is happy as a clam in a shopping cart. He likes to wave at fellow customers and smile and giggle at older kids running around the stores. I am savoring this time because I know it is inevitable that soon he will want to walk around the store himself. I can only imagine what that will look like.

He continues to make sounds but “Dada” and “banana” are the only two clear and consistent words so far but he is trying so hard to communicate verbally.

The best part about this age? He has begun to give unsolicited kisses. I practically melt into a pile of mush each time.

For now, I will continue to relish in the sweet moments with my baby because I know that he will be turning 2 years old in a heartbeat.